Elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis treated with antipsychotic drugs are at an increased risk of death. Ziprasidone mesylate is not approved for the treatment of dementia-related psychosis .

Commonly used brand name(s)

In the U.S.

Geodon

Available Dosage Forms:

Powder for Solution

Therapeutic Class: Antipsychotic

Chemical Class: Benzisothiazoyl

Uses for Geodon

Ziprasidone injection is used to treat agitation that occurs with schizophrenia. It should not be used to treat behavioral problems in elderly patients who have dementia. Ziprasidone works by changing some of the chemicals in the brain that cause schizophrenia.

This medicine is to be given only by or under the direct supervision of your doctor.

Before using Geodon

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of ziprasidone injection in the pediatric population. Safety and efficacy have not been established.

Geriatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of ziprasidone injection in the elderly. However, this medicine should not be used for behavioral problems in older adults with dementia.

Pregnancy

Pregnancy Category

Explanation

All Trimesters

C

Animal studies have shown an adverse effect and there are no adequate studies in pregnant women OR no animal studies have been conducted and there are no adequate studies in pregnant women.

Breastfeeding

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Interactions with medicines

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are receiving this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.

Alfuzosin

Amiodarone

Amisulpride

Amitriptyline

Anagrelide

Apomorphine

Aripiprazole

Aripiprazole Lauroxil

Arsenic Trioxide

Artemether

Asenapine

Astemizole

Atazanavir

Azithromycin

Bedaquiline

Bepridil

Bromopride

Buserelin

Ceritinib

Chloroquine

Chlorpromazine

Ciprofloxacin

Cisapride

Citalopram

Clarithromycin

Clofazimine

Clomipramine

Clozapine

Crizotinib

Cyclobenzaprine

Dabrafenib

Dasatinib

Degarelix

Delamanid

Desipramine

Deslorelin

Deutetrabenazine

Disopyramide

Dofetilide

Dolasetron

Domperidone

Donepezil

Doxepin

Dronedarone

Droperidol

Ebastine

Efavirenz

Encorafenib

Entrectinib

Eribulin

Erythromycin

Escitalopram

Famotidine

Felbamate

Fingolimod

Flecainide

Fluconazole

Fluoxetine

Formoterol

Foscarnet

Fosphenytoin

Galantamine

Gatifloxacin

Gemifloxacin

Glasdegib

Gonadorelin

Goserelin

Granisetron

Halofantrine

Haloperidol

Histrelin

Hydroquinidine

Hydroxychloroquine

Hydroxyzine

Ibutilide

Iloperidone

Imipramine

Inotuzumab Ozogamicin

Itraconazole

Ivabradine

Ivosidenib

Ketoconazole

Lapatinib

Lenvatinib

Leuprolide

Levofloxacin

Lofexidine

Lumefantrine

Macimorelin

Mefloquine

Mesoridazine

Methadone

Metoclopramide

Metronidazole

Mizolastine

Moxifloxacin

Nafarelin

Nelfinavir

Nilotinib

Norfloxacin

Octreotide

Ofloxacin

Olanzapine

Ondansetron

Osimertinib

Paliperidone

Panobinostat

Paroxetine

Pasireotide

Pazopanib

Pentamidine

Perphenazine

Pimavanserin

Pimozide

Pipamperone

Piperaquine

Pitolisant

Posaconazole

Probucol

Procainamide

Prochlorperazine

Promethazine

Propafenone

Protriptyline

Quetiapine

Quinidine

Quinine

Ranolazine

Ribociclib

Risperidone

Ritonavir

Saquinavir

Sertindole

Sertraline

Sevoflurane

Sodium Phosphate

Sodium Phosphate, Dibasic

Sodium Phosphate, Monobasic

Solifenacin

Sorafenib

Sotalol

Sparfloxacin

Sulpiride

Sultopride

Sunitinib

Tacrolimus

Tamoxifen

Telaprevir

Telavancin

Telithromycin

Terfenadine

Tetrabenazine

Thioridazine

Tizanidine

Tolterodine

Toremifene

Trazodone

Trimipramine

Triptorelin

Vandetanib

Vardenafil

Vemurafenib

Venlafaxine

Vilanterol

Vinflunine

Voriconazole

Vorinostat

Zotepine

Zuclopenthixol

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

Alfentanil

Almotriptan

Amineptine

Amitriptylinoxide

Amoxapine

Amphetamine

Benzhydrocodone

Benzphetamine

Brompheniramine

Buprenorphine

Buspirone

Butorphanol

Carbamazepine

Chlorpheniramine

Cocaine

Codeine

Conivaptan

Desvenlafaxine

Dextroamphetamine

Dextromethorphan

Dibenzepin

Dihydrocodeine

Duloxetine

Eletriptan

Fentanyl

Fluvoxamine

Fosnetupitant

Frovatriptan

Furazolidone

Hydrocodone

Hydromorphone

Hydroxytryptophan

Iproniazid

Isocarboxazid

Lasmiditan

Lefamulin

Levomilnacipran

Levorphanol

Linezolid

Lisdexamfetamine

Lithium

Lofepramine

Lorcaserin

Melitracen

Meperidine

Metaxalone

Methamphetamine

Methylene Blue

Mifepristone

Milnacipran

Mirtazapine

Moclobemide

Morphine

Morphine Sulfate Liposome

Nalbuphine

Naratriptan

Nefazodone

Netupitant

Nialamide

Nortriptyline

Opipramol

Oxycodone

Oxymorphone

Pentazocine

Phenelzine

Procarbazine

Rasagiline

Remifentanil

Rizatriptan

Selegiline

Sibutramine

Siponimod

St John's Wort

Sufentanil

Sumatriptan

Tapentadol

Tianeptine

Tramadol

Tranylcypromine

Tryptophan

Vilazodone

Vortioxetine

Zolmitriptan

Interactions with food/tobacco/alcohol

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Other medical problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

Seizures, history of—Use with caution. May make these conditions worse.

Bradycardia (slow heartbeat) or

Dehydration or

Heart or blood vessel disease or

Hypokalemia (low potassium in the blood) or

Hypomagnesemia (low magnesium in the blood) or

Hypotension (low blood pressure) or

Hypovolemia (low amount of blood) or

Stroke, history of or

Trouble with swallowing—May cause side effects to become worse.

Heart attack, recent acute or

Heart failure, uncompensated or

Heart rhythm problems (eg, congenital long QT syndrome, QT prolongation)—Should not be used in patients with these conditions.

Kidney disease—Use with caution. The effects may be increased because of slower removal of the medicine from the body.

Proper use of Geodon

A nurse or other trained health professional will give you this medicine in a clinic or hospital setting. This medicine is given as a shot into one of your muscles.

Your doctor will give you a few doses of this medicine until your condition improves, and then switch you to an oral medicine that works the same way. If you have any concerns about this, talk to your doctor.

Precautions while using Geodon

Your doctor will check your progress after you receive this medicine to make sure that it is working properly. Blood tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects.

This medicine can cause changes in the heart rhythm, such as a condition called QT prolongation. It may change the way your heart beats and cause fainting or serious side effects. Tell your doctor right away if you have any symptoms of heart rhythm problems, such as fast, pounding, or irregular heartbeats.

Check with your doctor right away if you have any of the following symptoms: convulsions (seizures), difficulty with breathing, a fast heartbeat, a high fever, high or low blood pressure, increased sweating, loss of bladder control, severe muscle stiffness, unusually pale skin, or tiredness. These could be symptoms of a serious condition called neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS).

If you develop a skin rash, hives, or any allergic reaction to this medicine, check with your doctor as soon as possible.

Check with your doctor right away if you have a fever, chills, cough, sore throat, swollen, painful, or tender lymph glands in the neck, armpit, or groin, or yellow skin or eyes while using this medicine. These could be symptoms of a serious condition called drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS).

Serious skin reactions can occur with this medicine. Check with your doctor right away if you have blistering, peeling, or loose skin, red skin lesions, severe acne or skin rash, sores or ulcers on the skin, or fever or chills while you are using this medicine.

This medicine may cause tardive dyskinesia (a movement disorder). Check with your doctor right away if you have lip smacking or puckering, puffing of the cheeks, rapid or worm-like movements of the tongue, uncontrolled chewing movements, or uncontrolled movements of the arms and legs while you are using this medicine.

This medicine may increase the amount of sugar in your blood. Check with your doctor right away if you have increased thirst or increased urination. If you have diabetes, you may notice a change in the results of your urine or blood sugar tests. If you have any questions, check with your doctor.

Ziprasidone can temporarily lower the number of white blood cells in your blood, increasing the chance of getting an infection. If you can, avoid people with infections. Check with your doctor right away if you think you are getting an infection, or you have a fever or chills, a cough or hoarseness, lower back or side pain, or painful or difficult urination.

This medicine may cause some people to become drowsy or dizzy, or may cause trouble with thinking or controlling body movements, which may lead to falls, fractures, or other injuries. Make sure you know how you react to this medicine before you drive, use machines, or do anything else that requires you to be alert, well-coordinated, or able to think well.

Dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting may occur, especially when you get up suddenly from a lying or sitting position. Getting up slowly may help. If the problem continues or gets worse, check with your doctor.

Ziprasidone injection may cause some people to be agitated, irritable, or display other abnormal behaviors. It may also cause some people to have suicidal thoughts and tendencies. If you or your caregiver notice any of these side effects, tell your doctor right away.

You may get overheated more easily while you are using this medicine. Be careful if you exercise often or are exposed to high temperatures or humidity. Drink more water and stay out of the sun.

Avoid drinking alcohol while you are using this medicine.

Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements.

Geodon side effects

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor or nurse immediately if any of the following side effects occur:

dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up suddenly from a lying or sitting position

drooling

dry mouth

feeling of warmth or heat

feeling, seeing, or hearing things that are not there

fever

flushing or redness of the skin, especially on the face and neck

general feeling of discomfort or illness

irritability

joint pain

loss of appetite

loss of balance control

multiple swollen and inflamed skin lesions

muscle aches and pains

muscle discomfort

muscle tension or tightness

muscle trembling, jerking, or stiffness

nausea

painful or prolonged erection of the penis

pounding in the ears

restlessness

rigid or stiff muscles

runny nose

severe mood or mental changes

shaking

shivering

shuffling walk

slow or fast heartbeat

sore throat

stiffness of the limbs or muscles

sweating

trouble sleeping

twisting movements of the body

uncontrolled movements, especially of the face, neck, and back

unusual behavior

unusual tiredness or weakness

vomiting

Rare

Actions that are out of control

convulsions

difficulty with breathing

high fever

high or low blood pressure

hives or itching

lip smacking or puckering

loss of bladder control

overactive reflexes

poor coordination

puffiness or swelling of the eyelids or around the eyes, face, lips, or tongue

rapid or worm-like movements of the tongue

talking or acting with excitement you cannot control

trembling

twitching

unexpected or excess milk flow from the breasts

unusually pale skin

Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

More common

Pain at the site of injection

sleepiness or unusual drowsiness

Less common

Acid or sour stomach

back pain

belching

constipation

cramps

heartburn

heavy bleeding

inability to sit still

indigestion

need to keep moving

pain

sneezing

stomach discomfort, upset, or pain

stuffy nose

tooth disorder

weight loss

Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

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Drugs.com provides accurate and independent information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and natural products. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Data sources include IBM Watson Micromedex (updated 4 May 2020), Cerner Multum™ (updated 2 June 2020), Wolters Kluwer™ (updated 2 May 2020) and others.